The Return of Truth

Prologue

In the beginning, there was the Creator, and He was Truth. He was reality, love, and good. He was all-powerful, and through His power He laid the foundations of the earth. He carved the majestic mountains, the endless plains, and the cool forests. He filled the seas with water and made them sparkle.

When this had been made, He filled the world with life. At His word, birds flew above the land, fish swam in the ocean, and all land animals emerged to behold their new home. All was good. But it was not complete.

When the Creator surveyed His creation, He saw there was no one to govern the world under Him. Thus He created man, and set him over all creatures. Then the Creator gave His children something very special. It was the Stone of Truth, a promise of His presence, wisdom, and guidance. "Guard this stone carefully," the Creator warned His people. "Without it the lies will come and you will be destroyed."

The people obeyed. They guarded the truth, and lived their lives according to the Creator's wisdom. They thrived in the love that united them with their Father, the Creator. And during this the truth continued to permeate all places.

But there was one who was not happy with all this. For thousands of years, the people defended themselves from the Deceiver, the Creator's enemy. With the Truth, they won battle after battle and war after war. But this did not stop the Deceiver. He longed to destroy the Truth. He wanted to kill the people. He wished to swallow their lands, the regions of [love, hope, joy, peace, kindness, faith, patience, gentleness, and self-control]. But the truth was strong, and for 20,000 years the people lived joyfully in the Creators presence. The Deceiver and his army were imprisoned in the Eastern Islands.

Alas, these good times did not last. The Deceiver grew stronger and stronger. Once again, he attacked the people. However, he did not come with spears and swords to battle the kingdom of Truth. Instead he came with the fire of lies. He poisoned many minds with falsehood, and he killed as many as he could that stood with the Truth. He won his way into the hearts of the people. Little by little he set the towns and cities on fire with lies. There was not one person that was not scorched. Worst of all, the people willingly gave him the Stone of Truth. He carried it off to his islands. Through these schemes, the Deceiver slowly choked the life out of the people.

Now the Truth's power was crushed. The people had willingly traded it for worthless falsehood. Like a fog it gradually dissipated from the air. What once was good was now evil. What once was joyful was now sad. What once was filled with light was filled with darkness.

There were a few, however, who caught on to what this new leader was doing. They rallied all their strength to take a stand against evil. They gathered weapons and armed their hearts and minds with Truth. But t was not enough to extinguish the lies. Most were slain, and the rest fled into the Unknown Forests in the West or the Northern Mountains. There they lived on in secret. They became the Remnant of Truth.

The Remnant often spoke of the Stone of Truth, but they believed that all hope was lost. Every year they sent out a few members to learn what was happening in their once–beautiful land. With every report their despair deepened.

10,000 years passed. The Deceiver grew stronger and stronger. The lies spread through the land, permeating the very air the people breathed. Death began to swallow the people, one by one. Even the Remnant, so far away, could feel its effect. Their numbers dwindled, and hope continued to fade from their hearts and minds.

The world was dying. Truth was dead. The Creator had been forgotten. And yet it was just in this desperate age that the Creator decided to reveal His glory, and draw His children to Himself once more. Thus, the Restoration of Truth began, hereafter chronicled.